Morning journal and courier., 1887-05-14
The Bad Luck of Three Outlaws Who
 Carried off a KYnuaan

Men are accustomed to look upon women as frail, tender and without pluck, but the bravery and heroism of the female sex, when forced to face the inevitable, shine forth in instances which men may have equalled, but never excelled.
 In June, 1878, three ruffians, one of whom was half bl eed indian, rode up to the pio- neer cabin of Henry Clark, situated near the State line between Kansas and Nebraska, due north of Smith Center and on the bank of the Republican river. It was about ter o'clock in the forenoon and Clark was in Marysville, Kansas, on business, leaving the wife, who was robust woman of twenty. five, alone on the place. Hospitality is the rule in the West, and when the men asked for breakfast she could not refuse, although she made up her mind at first glance that they were bad men. They said they were looking for stock and seemed to be posted as to Clark's absence. All were heavily armed and rode good horses. While Mrs. Clark was very much frightened and annoyed at their presence, she made pretence of being cool and brave, and this probably put the climax off for some time. She prepared 6 good breakfast and the men sat down to eat, but it was easy to see that they were not hungry. They only made pretence of eat ing, and when they got up two of them seized her and rushed her outdoors, and the third, who had already mounted, received her on his saddle. IF speaking of this act Mrs. Clark explains:
 stI had been expecting just such a move and was in a measure prepared for 1t. knew they meant me evil, and l was glad when saw they were to take me away. We had no neighbor nearer than three miles, and I felt that only in being taken away from the house was there any chance of rescue from their clutches. Men were constantly riding about the country looking for land or stray stock, and had strong hopes of meet ing some party before we had gone far. Therefore when they seized me I made but little resistance, and apparently to their great surprise did not scream nor faint"
 The men rode off at gallop up the river, skirting the edges of the timber, and in about three-quarters of an hour reached a cabin which had been abandoned early in the spring by family named Miller. The settlers wife had died and he had removed to Red Cloud. The cabin was a small and snug affair, having heavy door with bar to it and two windows provided with almost buI1et-proof inside shutters. The men rode straight to the cabin and dismounted, Mrs. Clark being assisted off the saddle before the man who rode the horse with her got down. AS she struck the ground she grabbed for the butt Of revolver which stuck out ot the holster of the man who helped her down, and what happened in the next two or three minutes she relates herself:
 'I was and am a fair shot with rifle or re- volver. I first seized the weapon with the idea of committing suicide, but changed my mind in an instant, pulled up the hammer and shot the man in the leg before he had taken his hands off me. Then darted for the cabin, carrying the smoking weapon in my hand. The half-open door was only ten feet away, and was inside and had the door bar in place in @ few seconds. Indeed the man whom had wounded had scarcely cried out before I was in the house. My action was 50 sudden and unexpected that not hand was stretched out to stop me. Fortu- nately for me the bar stood on end just be- hind the door, and as I slipped it into place felt that had been saved. Two or three yesrs of pioneer life give a woman courage and confidence, and I knew I had disabled one ot the men and had five bullets left for the other two."
 The wounded man received the bullet in the left leg just at the knee and made a seri- ous matter of it. He fell to the ground and cursed and groaned in terrible way, and vowed that the woman should be burned alive at the stake to pay for his injury. His companions were at first inclined to r1dicule him and to admire the pluck of the woman, but when they realized that he would proba. ply lose his limb, and that the trio had g